408 



ON A SYSTEM OF PROVINCIAL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



[1855. 



Georgia, 6 California, 3 



Florida, 5 Nebraska, 1 



Alabama, 7 



It must also be added that wliile in tte publisbed list of 

 Foreign Literary Associations in correspondence with the 

 Smithsonian Institution in 1854, I see in Sweden the names 

 of ten, in Norway five, in Iceland one, in Denmark six, in 

 Russia sixteen, in Holland fourteen, in Germany one hundred 

 and six, in Switzerland fifteen, in Belgium ten, in France 

 sixty-five, in Italy thirty-five, in Portugal one, in Spain four, 

 in Great Britain and Ireland ninety, in Greece one, in Turkey 

 twenty-one, in Africa three, in Asia eleven, in Van Diemen's 

 Land two, and in various States in Central and South America 

 seventeen, I do not observe the name of a single Library As- 

 sociation throughout the whole of the British American Pro- 

 vinces and West Indies ! although I learn that a proposal was 

 made by the Smithsonian Institution to memorialize the Ca- 

 nadian Government on the subject so far back as 1851. Why, 

 or how, such should be the case it is not for me to account. — 

 It is sufficient to state the rather startling fact ; and I am the 

 more induced to do so, from bearing in mind that it was to 

 the Cosmopolitan liberality of a Briton, who, in his own worc's, 

 regarded " the man of science as of no country; the world 

 his country; and all men as his countrymen," that the 

 United States are indebted for the foundation at Washington 

 of the noble philosophical " Estahlishmcnt for the increase and 

 diffusion of knowledge amonff men," now known by the name 

 of the Smithsonian Institution. It is at the same time proper 

 to add that copies of the different published volumes of the 

 " Smithsonian Contributions" have very lately been presented 

 to the Natural Histoi'y Society cf Montreal, and it may there- 

 fore be presumed that a similar liberal donation has been ex- 

 tended to other literary societies in the Province ; and if so, 

 the greater the obligation to endeavor to make some suitable 

 return. 



Wishing to encroach as little as possible on the time of the 

 Institute, I beg, in conclusion, to refer the members to the 

 subjoined copy of a highly satisfactory and instructive letter 

 lately received from Professor Henry in reply to more than one 

 communication from me, and to be allowed to add that should 

 any further information be required by the Council, I shall be 

 happy to be the medium of obtaining it, without the necessity 

 of resubmitting the matter to any special committee. And, in 

 the meantime I may be permitted to add here, that in my 

 original paper I ventured to name twenty-six places, as stations 

 of Observation in Canada, between Gasp6 and the western ex- 

 tremity of Lake Superior; but that this number might perhaps 

 require to be considerably increased. As, however, the en- 

 lightened foresight of the excellent Superintendent of education 

 in Western Canada has already in a great degree- met that 

 want, by allotting a set of Meteorological Instruments to each 

 County Grammar School, the number required in that section 

 of the Province would be thereby materially diminished ; and 

 should a similar regulation be established in Eastern Canada 

 the same would be the result there. Say, however, that 

 twenty-five extra Stations were required in each section of the 

 Province, the expense of supplying Instruments for the whole, 

 estimated by Lieut. Col. Lefroy at so low as £10 each, but 

 stated in detail by Professor Henry at not less than £30 each, 

 would at the most be £1500 at the outset; and the allowance to 

 fifty Observers, estimated at a medium rate between those 

 granted by the Legislatures of New York and Massachusetts, 

 or say 40 dollars each, would require at most an annual grant 

 of £500 more. 



Let Canada set the example of allowing this moderate yet, I 

 am disposed to think, suf&ciently liberal fund to the advance- 

 ment of so laudable a National Work, and recommend a simi- 

 lar line of conduct to the fovorable consideration of the Sister 

 Provinces, and I am confident that triumphant success will he 

 the speedy result. 



(Copy) Smithsonian Institute, 



Washington, 24th Oct., 1855. 



Deae Sir, — I regret very much that your letters in refer- 

 ence to Meteorology had not met with a more prompt reply. 

 I'' our first letter failed to reach us ; and the second informed 

 us that a printed Pamphlet had been sent ; and we delayed 

 our answer in full until we had an . opportunity of reading it. 

 It did not, however, come to hand till I was on the point of 

 leaving the city to be absent a number of weeks, and I now 

 embrace the first opportunity since my return to give you the 

 promised information. I hope that, though my letter has in con- 

 sequence been delayed, it will be in time to answer your purpose 

 in regard to an application for aid from Parliament for estab- 

 lishing a Meteorological Register in Canada. 



1st. A series of observations simultaneous with those in the 

 United States would not only be of much local interest in 

 determining the character of the climate in different parts of 

 Canada, but of high scientific importance in ascertaining the 

 laws of atmospheric changes peculiar to the North American 

 Continent. The system of winds which prevail in this Conti- 

 nent can never be properly understood until a series of simulta- 

 neous observations are made at intervals from the Gulf of 

 Mexico to near the arctic circle ; and no greater favour could 

 be conferred on the science of Meteorology than the establish- 

 ment of a series of observations in the British possessions in 

 North America. If this were done, all the phases of a winter's 

 storm could be noted from the moment of its rise through all 

 its changes, until its disappearance ; and for want of data of 

 that kind, the observations now made within the boundaries of 

 the United States are of much less value than they otherwise 

 would be. 



2. In answer to your first question, — " What course in 

 Canada would he most in accordance with the measures 

 already in progress in the United States under the auspices 

 and direction of the Smithsonian Institution P " As to the 

 course to be pursued in bringing about so desirable a result; I 

 would suggest, what has already occurred to yourself, — that aid 

 be asked by the Canadian Institute from Parliament, and the 

 Hudson's Bay Company to procure the necessary instruments; 

 that intelligent persons who have a taste for science, residing in 

 different parts of the country be invited to co-operate ; that 

 observations be made at all military and trading posts ; and that 

 the Returns be reduced and published under the direction of the 

 Canadian Institute, as fully as the means which may be obtained 

 would warrant ; that the original manuscripts should be pre- 

 served in the archives of the Institute, in order that they may 

 be examined in studying the motion of atmospheric waves, and 

 in tracing the progress of storms. 



3. In answer to your second question : — " What numhcr of 

 stations or posts of observation (jvithout reference to those p>ro- 

 posed hy me) would it be desirable to have established in the 

 British American Provinces : and what particular places 

 would the Sm,ithsonian Institution recommend as best adapted 

 for SMc7i pmposes ? " I would state that it would be desirable 

 to establish as many stations as can be supported, and that a 

 corps of observers be established, though they have no other 

 instruments than the wind vane and rain gauge. In case a 



